Hi guys.
My father is going to US soon, and me here have never ever been to US before in my life. Naturally, I should be happy when he ask me if I want to come along. But here's the problem: He is there to do business. So what's going to happen is that he is going to NY, and then transit to Texas, leaving me behind. I have a friend in NYC who has a home there which I will be staying in if I do go there, but she is currently studying, so I am basically on my own, with only accomodation nicely planned for me.
I never ever travelled on my own before, so it worries me about the uncertainties I might face. Worse still, I am not those extremely indepedent teens, so the thought of going to somewhere foreign alone frightens me slightly. However, before I start my NS, I do really want to try something new, rather than rotting uselessly at home waiting for enlistment. Knowing that there are CSers who are familiar with US (esp New York), I decided to make a thread here as I definitely want (and beg) for advice about NY.
My father just wants me to plan everything myself, and he just throws me a map to look at. I have some really big questions to ask and I really hope any CSers here who are familiar with NY to help me. I am really grateful for any infomation. I bolded the questions to make it clearer.
1. What can my travel plans be in NY? The time I can spend in NY is up to me(sort of like freestyle) as when I am done, I will just buy a ticket to go Houston and meet up with my father. So what would be the recommended time I stay in NY be?btw, I don't mind going slightly out of NY if there are anything in the nearby states worth viewing. But again, I dun know how far one state is from another, so is it even feasible for me to go alone from NYC to some other states like New Jersey or Pennsylvania? cos I have a senior studying in Princeton Uni whom I hope to meet up with.
2. What precautions do I need to take while in NYC? So far, one lesson my father painfully learnt was the high price fares of the taxis there. He paid USD100 just to go from the aiport to my friend's house!!! He was just simply stunned:sweat:. So I was wondering also - What should my main mode of transport be while travelling around? Buses? Trains? Or perhaps, are taxis still fine for short distances?
3. What should I bring? So far, I am planning to buy a Lowepro bagpack so that I can carry my equipment more comfortably(Shoulder bags hurts for long usage) and that I can save bringing another bag for my laptop(free starhub gift). But are there anything out of oridnary items that i should bring? (out of ordinary means things that aren't passsports, jacket, underwear, etc).
4. What is the culture there? Are there certain actions I should avoid doing? Do I need to give tips to every single person who serve me? And if so, how much to give? basically, things like that.
I am pretty nervous now, can't really think of all the questions I need to be answered right now. Of course, I can always chicken out and just stay in Singapore, but I really do want to do something different, and also, to give my parents a sense that I can be independent.
If anyone can just give me personal experiences and advice, I would really appreciate it greatly. thanks in advance.
My father is going to US soon, and me here have never ever been to US before in my life. Naturally, I should be happy when he ask me if I want to come along. But here's the problem: He is there to do business. So what's going to happen is that he is going to NY, and then transit to Texas, leaving me behind. I have a friend in NYC who has a home there which I will be staying in if I do go there, but she is currently studying, so I am basically on my own, with only accomodation nicely planned for me.
I never ever travelled on my own before, so it worries me about the uncertainties I might face. Worse still, I am not those extremely indepedent teens, so the thought of going to somewhere foreign alone frightens me slightly. However, before I start my NS, I do really want to try something new, rather than rotting uselessly at home waiting for enlistment. Knowing that there are CSers who are familiar with US (esp New York), I decided to make a thread here as I definitely want (and beg) for advice about NY.
My father just wants me to plan everything myself, and he just throws me a map to look at. I have some really big questions to ask and I really hope any CSers here who are familiar with NY to help me. I am really grateful for any infomation. I bolded the questions to make it clearer.
1. What can my travel plans be in NY? The time I can spend in NY is up to me(sort of like freestyle) as when I am done, I will just buy a ticket to go Houston and meet up with my father. So what would be the recommended time I stay in NY be?btw, I don't mind going slightly out of NY if there are anything in the nearby states worth viewing. But again, I dun know how far one state is from another, so is it even feasible for me to go alone from NYC to some other states like New Jersey or Pennsylvania? cos I have a senior studying in Princeton Uni whom I hope to meet up with.
2. What precautions do I need to take while in NYC? So far, one lesson my father painfully learnt was the high price fares of the taxis there. He paid USD100 just to go from the aiport to my friend's house!!! He was just simply stunned:sweat:. So I was wondering also - What should my main mode of transport be while travelling around? Buses? Trains? Or perhaps, are taxis still fine for short distances?
3. What should I bring? So far, I am planning to buy a Lowepro bagpack so that I can carry my equipment more comfortably(Shoulder bags hurts for long usage) and that I can save bringing another bag for my laptop(free starhub gift). But are there anything out of oridnary items that i should bring? (out of ordinary means things that aren't passsports, jacket, underwear, etc).
4. What is the culture there? Are there certain actions I should avoid doing? Do I need to give tips to every single person who serve me? And if so, how much to give? basically, things like that.
I am pretty nervous now, can't really think of all the questions I need to be answered right now. Of course, I can always chicken out and just stay in Singapore, but I really do want to do something different, and also, to give my parents a sense that I can be independent.
If anyone can just give me personal experiences and advice, I would really appreciate it greatly. thanks in advance.